News & Politics - Panel: Bush Iraq policy 'not working'

Lexis · 12-06-2006, 12:05 PM

Quote:

President Bush's policy in
Iraq "is not working," a high-level commission said Wednesday in a blunt, bleak assessment that called for an urgent diplomatic attempt to stabilize the country and allow withdrawal of most U.S. combat troops by early 2008.
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After nearly four years of war and the deaths of more than 2,900 U.S. troops, the situation is "grave and deteriorating," the bipartisan panel said. It also warned, "The ability of the United States to influence events within Iraq is diminishing."

It recommended the U.S. reduce political, military or economic support for Iraq if the government in Baghdad cannot make substantial progress toward providing for its own security.

The report said Bush should put aside misgivings and engage
Syria,
Iran and the leaders of insurgent forces in negotiations on Iraq's future, to begin by year's end. It urged him to revive efforts at a broader Middle East peace. Barring a significant change, it warned of a slide toward chaos.

In a slap at the
Pentagon, the commission said there is significant underreporting of the actual level of violence in the country. It also faulted the U.S. intelligence effort, saying the government "still does not understand very well either the insurgency in Iraq or the role of the militias."

On the highly emotional issue of troop withdrawals, the commission warned against either a precipitous pullback or an open-ended commitment to a large deployment.

"Military priorities must change," the report said, toward a goal of training, equipping and advising Iraqi forces. "We should seek to complete the training and equipping mission by the end of the first quarter of 2008."

The commission recommended the number of U.S. troops embedded to train Iraqis should increase dramatically, from 3,000-4,000 currently to 10,000-20,000. Commission member William Perry, defense secretary in the Clinton administration, said those could be drawn from combat brigades already in Iraq.

Bush received the report in an early morning meeting at the White House with commission members. He pledged to treat each proposal seriously and act in a "timely fashion."

The report intensifies pressure on the president to change direction, but he is under no obligation to follow its recommendations. Still to come are options being developed in separate studies by the Pentagon, the State Department and the National Security Council. The White House says he will make decisions within weeks.

"If the president is serious about the need for change in Iraq, he will find Democrats ready to work with him in a bipartisan fashion to find a way to end the war as quickly as possible," said Rep. Nancy Pelosi (news, bio, voting record), the California Democrat who is in line to become speaker when the new Congress convenes in January.

"The president has the ball in his court now ... and we're going to be watching very closely," said Harry Reid, the Nevada Democrat who will take over as Senate majority leader in January.

Panel: Bush Iraq policy 'not working' - Yahoo! News

Let's hope Bush takes this seriously. A lot of the measures seem reasonable and hopefully could lead to a more stable Iraq.

**sunnykerr** · 12-06-2006, 12:41 PM

Let's hope indeed that he takes this seriously. This isn't some political opponent or a foreign country telling him his policies aren't working, it's a bipartisan committee. He doesn't have any obligation to follow its recommendations, but it would be shame if he didn't.

**TheAngel** · 12-06-2006, 05:01 PM

Ok, they're saying the policy isn't working now...Where were they in 2002, or 2003, or 2004, or 2005?

ceilirose · 12-06-2006, 10:49 PM

A lot of the policies weren't working in 03, 04 and so on. It wasn't politically expedient for anyone in Bush's administration to acknowledge it. There were many people who said so but they were drowned out those in power.

With the elections last month it's become apparent that most Americans see it as a failure in policy.

Lain · 12-07-2006, 12:03 AM

Is it only now they've finally come out of the closet and announce this? I always thought the policies weren't working the past couple of years.

Lexis · 12-07-2006, 05:14 AM

I thought Bush put together this panel earlier this year.

Laira · 12-07-2006, 10:52 AM

I hope that this is a sign that the Bush administration is finally going to face reality and try to find a way out of this mess.

However, I really doubt that either Syria or Iran will intervene to help out the U.S. Why should they?

Jacob1983 · 12-07-2006, 11:25 AM

Bush could probably help his cause and even reputation if he listened to this panel. That's a thing that has really hurt Bush's presidency. He isn't really a "people pleaser".

**TheAngel** · 12-11-2006, 06:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jacob1983 (View Post)

Bush could probably help his cause and even reputation if he listened to this panel. That's a thing that has really hurt Bush's presidency. He isn't really a "people pleaser".

Well, that and he's a bit of an idiot and hasn't really done anything worthwhile. If this war in Iraq had been accomplished correctly it wouldn't matter if he was a people pleaser. But other than outsing Saddam it hasn't accomplished a single goal it set out to complete.

Jacob1983 · 12-11-2006, 08:09 AM

People would not think Bush is an idiot if 9/11 never happened, the war in Iraq never happened, and if he had handle hurricane Katrina better. People only think Bush is an idiot because that is their defense when they disagree with him or don't believe in the things he supports. If everything in America was hunky dory, Bush would be well liked. It's so easy and convenient to gang up on a president when things aren't going fine and dandy.

ceilirose · 12-11-2006, 08:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jacob1983 (View Post)

People would not think Bush is an idiot if 9/11 never happened, the war in Iraq never happened, and if he had handle hurricane Katrina better. People only think Bush is an idiot because that is their defense when they disagree with him or don't believe in the things he supports. If everything in America was hunky dory, Bush would be well liked. It's so easy and convenient to gang up on a president when things aren't going fine and dandy.

Well that's true in a bizarre sort of way. One would never have seen how incompetent Bush actually was because of the handling of 9/11 and Katrinahappened and how he led us to a war that never had to be.

The thing is that no one forced Bush to run for the President. He did that all on his own. He was the one who was going to bring "integrity" back to the WH - the one to be an adult.

People judge others on how well they handle adversity. He's failed on all counts.

Jacob1983 · 12-11-2006, 08:38 AM

Trust me if things were going great and super outstanding, Bush haters around America would change their tunes in a heartbeat. People whine and complain when they don't get their way and bashing Bush is a way they do it. I'll just be glad when he is out of office cause I'm really tired of the whole Bush bashing and Texas bashing craze. It's really gotten old. I think by now we get the point that a lot of people hate Bush and wish he could just crash and burn even more than he already has. That would be my advice to a lot of comedians. I would tell them "look I get the point that you hate Bush to death and you think he's an idiot, however you really need to get some new material".

ceilirose · 12-11-2006, 10:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jacob1983 (View Post)

Trust me if things were going great and super outstanding, Bush haters around America would change their tunes in a heartbeat. People whine and complain when they don't get their way and bashing Bush is a way they do it. I'll just be glad when he is out of office cause I'm really tired of the whole Bush bashing and Texas bashing craze. It's really gotten old. I think by now we get the point that a lot of people hate Bush and wish he could just crash and burn even more than he already has. That would be my advice to a lot of comedians. I would tell them "look I get the point that you hate Bush to death and you think he's an idiot, however you really need to get some new material".

This from a person who can't get over Michael Moore? Look I understand you're a Bush supporter but no one has the right to tell anyone to stop complaining about him. That's the bottom line. If you can't handle criticism of him then just don't read about it.

Alos you're the only one who talks about Texas bashing , Southern bashing and yet you never can give us examples.

I guess you're in for a rough two years until Bush is gone.

Jacob1983 · 12-11-2006, 10:17 AM

I never said that people should be phyisically forced to stop bashing Bush. I just believe that it's gotten really old and tiring. I and I'm sure other Americans get the idea that Bush haters such as Michael Moore, Bill Maher, Rosie O'Donnell, and Jon Stewart hate the guy. They don't have to remind us every single day.
People generalize and stereotype the south and my state of Texas based on what Bush does. That is not right or fair. One person does not represent everything about the south and Texas. I hate to use this term but a lot of "Yankees" always talk crap and joke about all the bad things of the south when in fact they have never been to the south in their entire lives.

ceilirose · 12-11-2006, 10:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jacob1983 (View Post)

I never said that people should be phyisically forced to stop bashing Bush. I just believe that it's gotten really old and tiring.

As is constant bashing by the Right of anyone who disagrees with Bush. You don't think that's old?

Quote:

People generalize and stereotype the south and my state of Texas based on what Bush does. That is not right or fair. One person does not represent everything about the south and Texas. I hate to use this term but a lot of "Yankees" always talk crap and joke about all the bad things of the south when in fact they have never been to the south in their entire lives.

Everyone generalizes about different areas of the country. I've been in the south for business and have heard my fair share of stereotypes about Yankees, East Coast people, the Kennedys, etc. etc., ad nauseum. I'm always amused by being called a Yankee because it has such a different meaning to someone who grew up in the Northeast vs. someone from the South. When the Civil War was going on my ancestors weren't even in this country. Calling me a Yankee means absolutely nothing. A Yankee to me is what we call "old blue bloods." In fact the Bush family is a perfect example of an old Yankee family.

No one in this country or no area in this country is entirely innocent of it.


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